It is known to provide devices for translating a sequence of instructions in a high level computer language (such as FORTRAN) into a sequence of machine level instructions for subsequent execution. Such a device comprises a programmable computer operating under control of a programme (termed a "compiler") which operates in accordance with a fixed series of rules, and may produce code which is repetitive and uses a large volume of memory, or operates slowly.
Furthermore, the high level language imposes an algorithmic structure specifying an order in which operations are to performed by the target device, which may in fact be wasteful of the memory and other resources of the device.